Bar Transfer Test (BTT)

Litigation & Evidence - Papers 10 and 11

Candidates will be examined on the basis of reported and published case law as of 1 October in the year preceding the date of examinations (with a "year" running from start January to end December).

As regards primary and secondary legislation, candidates will be examined on legislation that has been published by 1 October in the year preceding the date of examinations, provided a commencement date has been specified for the provision that is prior to the 1 February in the following year.

As regards Civil Procedure Rules, the law will be treated as that stated or described in the current White Book as being then in force. The current White Book should be taken to mean the latest published edition of the 2 volumes plus the latest cumulative supplement (if any) as of 1 October in the year preceding the diet of assessments.

For example, for the assessment in April 2015, this would require candidates to apply the law as at 1 October 2014 and not beyond this date.

• Procedure of a civil claim from start to finish
• The overriding objective of the Civil Procedure Rules, the important pre-action stage, commencement of proceedings (including which court to choose and to which track the claim will be allocated) through to trial, appeal and enforcement
• Interim applications (including injunctions and summary judgment)
• Multiple causes of action and multiple parties, funding, costs and evidence

• Procedure of a criminal trial from arrest to appeal
• Arrest, detention, interview and charge First appearances and bail
• Pre-trial applications
• The trial process in the Magistrates', Crown and Youth Courts
• Sentencing
• Appeals
• Evidence: Hearsay, inferences, character, confessions, identification

It is an essential prerequisite of each session that you have read around the subject matter prior to the session. This course will only run subject to minimum numbers

At the seminar candidates will have the opportunity to:

• Become familiar with the structure and contents of the Code of Conduct
• Become familiar with parts of the Code of Conduct dealing with barristers’ relationships with lay clients
• Become familiar with parts of the Code of Conduct dealing with barristers’ relationships with professional clients
• Become familiar with parts of the Code of Conduct dealing with the acceptance, refusal and return of instructions
• Understand the application of professional ethics on the BTT in general
• Become familiar with the format of the ethics assessment for the BTT
• Practice sample questions equivalent to the assessment

This is a three day programme, the first day of the advocacy course is in the form of a lecture and covers aspects of preparation for the advocacy assessments including:

• Delivery
• Case theory
• Examination in chief and cross examination
• Preparation of skeleton arguments

On the second and third day candidates will have the opportunity to practice their advocacy skills in tutorials and mock assessment situations.

This training course is compulsory if you are taking Paper 8 of the test for the first time.